Why is the New York Scaffold Law Important?

Section 240 of the New York State Labor Law places liability on owners, leaseholders and contractors for their failure to provide proper safety equipment to construction workers performing work such as painting, cleaning, and construction. This law, commonly referred to as the Scaffold Law establishes strict liability for gravity-related injuries such as those occur when someone falls from a height or an object falls from a height striking someone. The law rightfully places liability on those who fail to provide appropriate safety devices or measures for the worker. In a recent case, Hach & Rose obtained the highest reported construction accident jury verdict of 2012 for a union stationary engineer who was on a ladder that fell while he was painting the frame of a loading dock. Unfortunately, our client did not have a co-worker available to him to hold the ladder and he did not have a safer way to do his job. As a result of the fall, he struck his head on the concrete below causing him to suffer a traumatic brain injury. Had it not been for the Scaffold Law/New York Labor Law, our client would have been limited to the limited benefits of the workers’ compensation system.

Fortunately, because of the Scaffold Law and the expertise provided by Hach & Rose, our client obtained a thirteen million dollar jury verdict. He was compensated for his past and future lost earnings, past and future medical expenses, loss of pension benefits, loss of annuity benefits, loss of medical insurance and for pain and suffering. While money can never replace good health, the result of this case allows our client and his family financial security. If you have suffered an injury on the job we invite you to contact Hach & Rose. We have experience, results, resources, reputation, and a commitment to our clients to provide the very best legal representation possible.

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